The facility administrator shall designate a staff member, contractor, or volunteer to manage and coordinate religious activities for detainees. Ordinarily, that person shall be the facility chaplain, who shall, in cooperation with the facility administrator and staff, plan, direct, and supervise all aspects of the religious program, including approval and training of both lay and clergy volunteers from faiths represented in the detainee population. The facility administrator shall provide non-detainee clerical staff support for confidential materials.

The chaplain or other religious services coordinator, regardless of his/her specific religious affiliation, shall have basic knowledge of different religious and shall ensure equal status and protection of all religions.

The chaplain or other religious services coordinator shall have physical access to all areas of the facility to serve detainees.

A chaplain shall have a minimum qualification of clinical pastoral education or specialized training, and endorsement by the appropriate religious-certifying body. In lieu of these, the facility administrator may accept adequate documentation of recognized religious or ministerial position in the faith community.

The chaplain shall be available to provide pastoral care and counseling to detainees who request it, both through group programs and individual services. Detainees who belong to a religious faith different from that of the chaplain or religious services provider staff may, if they prefer, have access to pastoral care and counseling from external clergy and religious service providers. The chaplain may, for the purpose of informed decision-making, ask a detainee to explain special and unfamiliar requests.

If the facility has a religious services coordinator rather than a chaplain, the coordinator shall have the necessary training to connect detainees with a broad range of religious services and be prepared to arrange religious services for multiple faith traditions and connect incoming detainees with resources and services specific to the detainee’s particular faith.

The term “individual services” includes counseling services provided to individual detainees or members of their families in personal crisis and family emergency situations.